On one of my many trips out to Florencia Bay to look for the Pink Sand-verbena that had been reported a couple of weeks ago I stumbled upon another unusual looking plant that initially had me stumped. It was a single plant, somewhat scraggly looking with white flowers and pinnately lobed leaves that were quite bristly. This lone straggly looking …
Beaches
Wickaninnish Beach – BC Skywatch #11
Well folks, another SkyWatch Friday has rolled around. This Friday, Wickaninnish Beach near Tofino and Uclulet is the destination of choice! Located on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia the sandy beaches in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve are known for their spectacular sunsets (when it isn’t foggy or raining!). While Long Beach is usually the primary stop …
Tracking a Grey Wolf
Of the three top predators in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve I have regularly seen Black Bears but have yet to have seen a Cougar (in the park) or a Grey Wolf. Maybe this is a good thing… Tracks in the Sand at Florencia Bay Sometimes seeing the sign that one of these predators has passed through is enough. Early …
Lunch with Tiger Beetle
This morning I searched for two endangered Pink Sand-verbena (Abronia umbellata) plants reported last week at Florencia Bay. Despite a lack of success, I enjoyed poking around, looking at plants, and examining the flotsam and jetsam brought in with the tide. The beach at Florencia Bay is over 5 km long and even though I had a rough idea of where …
Comber’s Beach Sunset – BC Skywatch #10
Sunset at Comber’s Beach It’s been a while since I’ve posted a series of Skywatch images but this Friday I walked from Wickaninnish Beach to Comber’s Beach in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. Various combinations of sand and water and sky presented themselves and changing the camera position slightly revealed different patterns and textures. It was one of the uncommon …
Dune Tansy Revisited
Dune Tansy (Tanacetum bipinnatum ssp. huronense) can be found along the edge of the beach at Schooner Cove in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. While out at Schooner Cove last week I decided to check out the small sand dunes for a number of dune plants. It was here at the top of the beach that I found two species …
Purple Olive Snails at Radar Hill Beach
The sandy expanse of Radar Hill Beach is good habitat for Purple Olive Snails (Olivella biplicata). With the good low tides this week my objective on my days off was to explore some beaches that I hadn’t visited before. One such destination was Radar Hill Beach in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. Access to this remote beach is by an …
Roots on the Rough Route to Radar Hill Beach
Rocky headlands at Radar Hill Beach create dramatic vistas. Pacific Rim National Park Reserve is well known for its long, sandy, and windswept beaches. Every year over 800,000 people visit this spectacular national park. If you truly want to experience the dramatic power of this landscape, the challenge is finding a place without many people. Radar Hill beach is one …
Halfmoon Bay – BC Skywatch #9
Rocky islets and wet sand in Halfmoon Bay. Yesterday evening I headed down to Halfmoon Bay in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve to catch the late evening light. This beautiful little sandy beach has a great north-west orientation and lots of little rocky islands and silohuetted trees for sunset photography. Access to the beach is via Willowbrae Trail. Park at …
A Good Bloom of Bare-stem Desert-parsley
I’ve been noticing lately that Bare-stem Desert-parsley (Lomatium nudicaule) is in bloom everywhere on the open sandy areas on the coast here on Vancouver Island. It is not a spectacular plant but it is interesting when one takes a closer look at it. The flowers are small and yellow and form round clusters at the end of stalks. The yellow …